Summertime, and the livin' is easy

"Summertime, and the livin' is easy," or so the song goes. Maybe so—unless you're a youth minister spending your summer taking kids to camp or on mission trips, or a children's minister in the thick of planning VBS. Hopefully, all of us will get to experience a slower pace at some point this summer.

My summer got an early start when I left on May 20 for a bike ride along the Camino de Santiago (the Coastal Portuguese Route). Granted, it would have been a much slower pace had I chosen to walk it, but like so many of us, I didn't feel like I had that kind of time to spare. I had the experience of biking to Santiago and then riding back in a van to where we started in Porto, Portugal. What took us six days by bike took only two-and-a-half to three hours by van. Of course, I experienced so much more on the bike. I met more people and noticed more of the sights along the way. Even while biking, I found myself thinking that walking would have been better—certainly less stressful.

The Gospel reading from this past Sunday's lectionary began, "As Jesus was walking along..." (Matthew 9:9). It got me thinking about the pace of life Jesus lived compared to the pace of our lives today. He basically walked everywhere, with the occasional donkey ride. As a result, he had many powerful, insightful, life-changing conversations with people he met along the way. Not to mention all the things he observed—farm fields, birds, flowers, and trees—that found their way into his teachings. Imagine if Jesus had spent his entire ministry whizzing down the interstate at 70 miles per hour. We'd have a collection of lessons about Sheetz, Buc-ee's, and rest areas!

Jesus moved slowly through life. I don't get the sense that he was driven by a to-do list or focused on being as efficient as possible with his time. Instead, he was fully present to each person and each moment, no matter how important or seemingly small.

That's how I want to live this summer. I want to slow down—maybe even walk places I would normally drive. I want to pay closer attention to the people I encounter and to the world around me. If I am going to follow Jesus, I need to slow down; otherwise, I might get ahead of him.

I hope to see you along the path.

Virginia Ross Taylor, D.Min.
Program Director 
Baptist Women in Ministry of North Carolina